Running-board and fender connecter



July 14, 1925.

- H. O. RAICHE RUNNING BOARD AND FENDERCONNECTER Filed Nov. 5, 1924 A; go /7 6 0 m w Wk w A 3 W1- 5111--. i... W

za 5 za Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES A 1,545,573 PATENT OFFICE."

HARVEY O. RAICHE, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR '130 GENERAL MOTORS COR- IORATION, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RUNNING-BOARD AND FENDER CONNECTER.

Application filed November 5,1924. Serial No. 747,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY O. RAIoHE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lansing, county of Ingham, and State of \lichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running-Board and Fender Connectors, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which the invention re-' lates to make and use the same, reference being made therein to the accompanying drawings, which form "a part of this specificatio My invention consists in a connecting member or device designed for use in auto mobiles to fasten the front and rear ends of the running board to adjacent ends of the front and rear fenders of the'vehicle; and the principal object thereof is toprovide an improved connector made, preferably, from a suitably shaped sheet metal blank bent into right angular form and hav ing a horizontal flange adapted to lie beneath and to be fastened to an end of a running board, and a vertical wall or portion adapted to be secured to the adjacent end i of a fender and to lie between the ends of the parts thus fastened together, all as will hereinafter and at length appear.

A further object of my invention is to provide a connector of the kind and for the purpose stated wherein vertical drainage passages are present,.so that water falling upon the running board may pass downward between an end thereof and the adj acent end of the fender to which it is fastened; and astill further object of' my invention is to provide a connecter of the class described and wherein the vertical portion thereof is; provided with sockets adapted to receive the heads of horizontally arranged bolts the stems of which extend through holes in said sockets, and which bolts provide means for fastening the adja cent end of a fender to the connecting member and through said member to the end of the running board.

With the above and other objects of invention in view my invention consists in the improved running board and fender connecting member illustrated in the accompanying drawing, described in the following specification, and particularly claimed in the concluding claims; and in such variations and modifications thereof, within the scope of the concluding claims, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates. V

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification, and where in the preferred form of my invention is illustrated:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view showing the two ends of the running board of an automobile connected to the adjoining ends of the front and rear fenders through and by means of two connecting devices made in accordance with my invention, in side ele 'vation for the most'part;

Figure 2 is aaview showing the parts shown in Figure 1 in plan.

Figure 3 is a view showing my improved connecting-member by itself, and in plan.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the connecting member in elevation Figure 5 is a view showing a section upon a vertical plane indicated by the line 55, Figures 3 and 4. i

In the drawing, the reference numeral 6 designates a running board of the usual kind used with automobiles, 7 and '8ithe fenders, one a front and the other a rear fender, the ends of which terminate adjacent the ends of the running board; the ends of the running board being fastened to the adjacent ends of the fenders through and by the use of connecting devices 9, 10 made inaccordance with my invention. The numeral 11 designates the usual guard or apron extending from the running board upward to the frame 12, where it is commonly turned inward and its upper end made to lie between the frame and the body 13 of the vehicle.

and is secured to the board by screws, bolts,

rivets, or otherwise, and a vertical portion or wall 15 which extends across the end of the board and lies between said end and the adjacent end of the fender 7 or 8 which is fastened to the running board by the use of the connector in question.

The portion 15- is in character and form a wall lying between the ends of the running board and fender connected by the connecter of which the wall forms a part; and said portion or wall is: provided with one or more sockets opening inward toward the space between the flange 14: and wall 15, saidsockets having holes in their end walls through which the shanks 1160f a corresponding number of horizontally arranged bolts extend. The heads 17 of these bolts lie within and are prevented from turning by the side walls of the sockets; and the shanks or stems are long enough to extend through holes in a depending flange (such as is indicated by the numeral 18) of the fender with which connection is to be made, and to receive nuts 19 for fastening the parts together, as will be appreciated and as is shown at the left hand ends of Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing.

The sockets which receive the heads 17 of the connecting bolts are preferably formed by striking out or depressing port-ions of the material of the vertical portion or wall 15 of the conn'ecter, as indicated at 20, so that the end walls' of the sockets through which the fastening bolts extend are spaced apart from the outer surface of the said wall. This construction provides vertically extending drainage passages 21 between the connecter and the fender flange 18' against which the end walls of the sockets abut; so that water which falls upon the running board may escape freely between the ends thereof and the fenders to which the ends are fastened; The spaces or passages add materially to the appearance of the board in that they tend to keepit clean; as such water as falls thereupon during storms, or is thrown thereupon in washing the car, will flow freely through the passages 21 during which dirt upon the board will be washed to the ends thereof, and pass through the passages in question.

7 Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 5

1. A running board end and fender connecter having a vertically arranged portion adapted to lie between adjacent .ends of a running board and fender to be fas- 'running' board and fender connected by said connecter.

2. A running board end and fender connec-te'r having a vertically arranged portion adapted to lie between adjacent ends of a running board and fender to be fastened together and which portion is provided with sockets having holes in their end walls, and with vertically extending recesses between said sockets; means whereby said connecter may be fastened to the end of running board; and horizontally extending connecting bolts the heads of which lie within said sockets, and the stems of which extend through the holes aforesaid in the end walls of said sockets.

3. A running board end and fender conne oter having a horizontal flange adapted to lie beneath the end of a running board, and a vertical portion adapted to. lie between adjacent ends of a running board and fender to be fastened'toget her said vertical portion having sockets extending outward fromthe space between said horizontal and vertical portions, said sockets having holes in their end walls and said'v'ertical portion. having drainage passages between said sockets.

4. A running board end and fender con necter made froma sheet metal blank bent to provide a horizontal flange adapted to lie beneath the end of a running board, and a vertical portion adapted to lie between adjacent ends of a running board and fender to be fastened together; said vertical portion having sockets forced out from the wall thereof and spaced apart from one another, and the end walls of which sockets lie in a plane beyond the main wall of said vertical portion, said sockets being pro-, vided each with h'ole in itsend Wall. In testimony whereof I alli'x my signature.

HARVEY O. RAICHE. 

